A tree ignited after being hit by lightning overnight Wednesday, according to Park City Fire Assistant Chief Sean Briley. By Thursday morning, residents noticed smoke coming from the Mountain Village side of Park City Mountain.
Utah Fire Info reported the blaze, named the Thaynes Canyon Fire, had burned about half an acre by 9:45 a.m. It was located on the east-facing slope of Pinecone Ridge, above and west of the Motherlode Express lift’s bottom terminal. The fire was first spotted just after 6:30 a.m.
Ground crews from the Park City Fire District arrived around 7 a.m. with two trucks and an ATV, responding from both the Mountain Village and Canyons Village sides of the mountain, Briley said.
By mid-morning, a helicopter was headed to the site to assist, according to Park City Municipal spokesperson Clayton Scrivner. The aircraft intended to draw water from Shadow Lake, near the base of Jupiter Bowl.
Park City Municipal closed resort trails indefinitely as of Thursday morning. Park City Mountain announced that the Red Pine Gondola, along with the Payday Express, Crescent Express, and Town lifts, would stay shut for the entire day.
The alpine slide was also closed since it depends on lift access, though other base-area attractions not requiring lifts — like the mountain coaster — were still running as of 10:15 a.m.
Summit County officials asked the public not to call in additional smoke reports, noting that fire crews were already on the scene.
